There are some artists whose music just makes you feel good, they have that something that hooks you in and you just know when you see them live that it’ll be a fun night. Bryan Adams is one of those artists. So here we are tonight out at Olympic Park, and with no residents around we won’t be waking up any neighbours, but we will be in for an awesome night, and with a full moon in Sydney who knows to what extent the awesomeness will extend to, but I’m expecting we’ll be so happy it hurts by the end of it.
James Arthur is here to open the show and this is instantly so very very good. This six piece band sound so full and opening with the catchy as all get up ‘Bitter Sweet Love’ I am hooked. If there’s one thing I love about artists in this slot it’s when they tell us about how much this set means to them and James did just that. Respect. ‘Comeback Kid’ is next and I’m a fan, you’ve hooked me, James. The tempo slows down just a little bit the groove stays right there with ‘Sermon’ complete with rap break that was fun. ‘Can I Be Him’ is a big power ballad for him and it’s a good one. ‘Train Wreck’ was deep, emotional and real. Man. This guy can write a song. Doing his version of Christina Perri’s ‘1000 years’ and the feeling he gives this is something. This rockier version of it is outstanding. ‘Lasting Lover’ is one that a lot of people here know and damn what a book. That will 100% be added to my playlists tomorrow. Wow. The crowd are warmed up now and he closes the set with ’Say You Won’t Let Go’ and what a way to close his set. That is talent. I will definitely go and see him again.
Lights go down and the excellent intro of ‘Kick Ass’ kicks in and here we go, and yes they are a kick ass rockin band. This is the perfect way to start the show. If this is how we start then we are in for an amazing couple of hours. Wasting no time we go straight into ‘Can’t Stop This Thing We Started’ which is one of my favourite Bryan Adams songs and hearing live is always a pleasure and that outro live is the best. Now that’s how you start a show. This is going to be a show of bangers I mean of course it is, they’re all bangers, but as ‘Somebody’ starts the cheer was huge and the cheers just kept coming. My theme song is next ‘18 Til I Die’ as Bryan switches from bass to guitar as we help him by yelling this one back to the stage. What a song. And now it’s time for the first of Bryan’s many amazing ballads with ‘Please Forgive Me’ and it takes on even more power when played live. The place is lit up with phones and it looks great. From the old to the new with his brand new single ‘Roll With the Punches’ as this big rocker shows us what he can still do. There’s also a giant boxing glove floating around which is amazing. That was great! ‘Shine a Light’ keeps the groove going and the lights shon but it’s the next one that blew the place up. ‘Heaven’ is one of his best if not one of the best songs ever. Once it twigged with the crowd what it was this sped up version is different but I’ve gotta tell ya it’s pretty damn good. That was unexpected but it works. ‘Go Down Rockin’ keeps that tempo up then as the harmonica comes out they jam it out before ‘It’s Only Love’ and a tribute to Tina Turner and this one rocked with some amazing guitar work by Keith which took us into a beautiful outro of ‘The Best’ and ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ that was great. ‘You Belong to Me’ gets everyone dancing in the aisles much to the displeasure of security ha ha but hey it’s fun and that’s what matters. Mixing in some Elvis the place is truly rockin’ now.
‘The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You’ is always a live staple for Bryan and here it is and with a bass and drum solo that was cool. ‘Here I Am’ with Bryan and Gary on stage was nice. Then a Mel C-less version of ‘When You’re Gone’ gets everyone back up again as he plays it solo on the acoustic which was great. Huge props to the lady behind me doing Mel C’s parts by the way. ‘Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?’ gets the Spanish guitar out and the live version is where it’s at. ‘Always Have, Always Will’ gets things louder again but when the piano starts ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It for You’ the crowd instantly join in for this ballad that owned everything in the early 90’s. I can never fault this song and I definitely won’t tonight as that was magnificent. The extended version with this outro is spectacular.
‘Back to You’ picks that tempo right back up followed by ‘So Happy It Hurts’ with flying car balloon was a lot of fun, another catchy one from his vast catalogue. Then let’s go way back with ‘Run to You’ and they just don’t write songs like this anymore. Absolute banger. Speaking of absolute bangers it’s time for ‘Summer of ’69’ and this song that has continued to be as big as it is for him is testament to his talent. These most definitely are the best days of our life. ‘Cuts Like a Knife’ follows and he nails it, plus we got to do the na na’s so we’re happy. Watching the band gel has been a pleasure tonight by the way these guys are amazing players. After a quick bow we get a nice little version of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ which was nicely rocked up. James Arthur comes back up on stage for a version of ‘Rewrite the Stars’ with Bryan which with the two acoustics sounded really special.
Bryan heads to the back of the arena to play ‘Straight From the Heart’ on an acoustic and with the lights up watching everyone watch him was a treat. The place is lit up by phones as he starts ‘All For One’ proving just how good he is by doing all three parts. Take that Sting and Rod Stewart. With that the show js done.
That was two hours of non stop amazingness. If you’ve never seen Bryan Adams live well you really should, amazing songs, amazing band, amazing voice, the show was simply awesome, I mean amazing. Right now I truly am so happy it hurts, I was right.
Essential Information
Venue: Qudos Bank Arena – Sydney
Date: February 12, 2025
Presented by: Frontier Touring
Website: www.bryanadams.com
Set list:
Kick Ass
Can’t Stop This Thing We Started
Somebody
18 til I Die
Please Forgive Me
Roll With the Punches
Shine a Light
Heaven
Go Down Rockin’
It’s Only Love
You Belong to Me
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
Here I Am
When You’re Gone
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
Always Have, Always Will
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
So Happy It Hurts
Run to You
Summer of ’69
Cuts Like a Knife
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Rewrite the Stars
Straight From the Heart
All for Love
